You have a Crampbuster, right? Try resting your fingers on the levers instead of gripping the handlebar. Just make sure the handlebar is cupped between your fingers and thumb. For the throttle, use the heel of your hand on the Crampbuster to maintain the throttle input. Practice this on a non-windy day and you'll eventually figure out that you don't actually have to grip the bars to initiate turns. All you need to do is straighten your arm a little to push on the bars.

I have one on the FZ6 but haven't gotten one on the BMW yet. I'll try as you suggest!

My Versys gets some wind, and the DR definitely gets it. The trick when you're riding an upright, naked bike is to just let the wind hold your body up. If I'm fighting a headwind, I just lean forward enough that the wind is supporting me and I'm not using my abs more than normal. Same with a side wind, I just think of leaning up against the wind and letting it hold me up. This is all done from the waist up--you keep the bike out of the equation. I've found it helps a lot, even though every once in a while I feel like the grips are in my armpits because I'm leaning forward so far.

The other issue is that if I "lean forward" and hunch in I become less of a target for the wind, and this works great on the Fazer with the touring windscreen. I can effectively block all wind from hitting my body....but leaning forward on the F800GS is a bad idea...it's not the proper seating position, hurts my wrists etc. In fact the best position is the "dirt bike" style slouched relaxed seating (though I still put the balls of my feet on the pegs, not the middle like they taught us in the dirt bike class).

BTW yesterday's ride home had some of the windiest conditions I've ever encountered. Not necessarily the strongest winds but the most consistent....so normally I'll be tossed around a little but little "punches" of wind, but this was like a non-ending gust that was pushing my bike and causing it to slide across the lane. The BMW doesn't have a windscreen I can tuck down behind like the FZ6 and since the riding position is relaxed it's difficult to find an aerodynamic position.

Strangely I think the bike handled it well, and at no time did I freak out but it wasn't pleasant.

Hey, good for you!

This week has been pretty crazy windy here too. Like flags appear to be completely rigid. There was one point on my highway commute where I was leaned to the left during the entire duration of a long, half-mile long right hand curve.

Doing my initially breakin ride on Ironhide yesterday was windy as shit as well. I'm not sure if the windscreen needs replacing or if it was really just that damned windy.

The other issue is that if I "lean forward" and hunch in I become less of a target for the wind, and this works great on the Fazer with the touring windscreen. I can effectively block all wind from hitting my body....but leaning forward on the F800GS is a bad idea...it's not the proper seating position, hurts my wrists etc. In fact the best position is the "dirt bike" style slouched relaxed seating (though I still put the balls of my feet on the pegs, not the middle like they taught us in the dirt bike class).

The wind was unusually bad yesterday so I'm not that concerned.

Right, but when you lean forward don't lean on your hands, lean on the wind. You should be able to take your hands completely off the handlebars and still be in the same riding position. It's not drastic, you're not tucking like a sport bike going down a straight. You're just leaning forward enough that you don't feel like the wind is trying to blow you over backwards anymore.

I will practice more. I have ample opportunity as I'd say most days the wind is significant. A lot of my ride is right along the water of the Bay between Candlestick point and Oyster point and the wind is awful there.

So I've done 250 miles since last Friday, and this weekend's Lakeport ride will add another 400 so I booked my 600 mile tuneup for next Saturday, 9:00 a.m. I'm also going to have them install the relay and fuse box; I know this isn't the most difficult thing in the world but when it comes to my new bike and the electricals I'd rather BMW set it up for me.

I just thought of something, one way to make sure you're not actually leaning on the bars is just drop you left hand off the grip, let it dangle. You can't lean on the bars then without leaning the bike to the right. If it feels like you're fighting to hold your body up with only one hand on the grip, you're in the wrong position. With your upright bike, you should be able to ride one-handed with pretty much no effort from your core. Just lean on the wind to hold yourself upright.

You know, all this talk about body position has me thinking that it I don't really think I'm engaging my core muscles very much when I ride. Windy or not. Maybe I just have abs of steel. :p

Put your bike on its center stand and get into position hanging off one side or the other. Take your hands off the grips. If you wiggle around or fall off the bike, you're not doing it right. If you can hang all the way off, sidecar monkey style, without your hands, you just have abs of steel.

I'm still not sure what you could be doing, Saint, that's hurting your wrists. Maybe your levers are positioned at some weird angle? I can ride my KLR and Tiger in pretty much any body position I want and not have any problem with my arms or wrists.

I'm still not sure what you could be doing, Saint, that's hurting your wrists. Maybe your levers are positioned at some weird angle? I can ride my KLR and Tiger in pretty much any body position I want and not have any problem with my arms or wrists.

It was because I wasn't sitting properly. If I am seated properly I was easily see well in either mirror then there is zero pain. So basically if I find any part of me starts aching or hurting, I consciously shift to the proper riding position and typically it goes away.

Incidentally while I wouldn't do it on my FZ6 with the F800GS on the center stand you can easily stand on one peg with all your weight to get on the bike and its perfectly stable

There are, but all the modern chain lube stuff is safe for all chains, AFAIK. Where you need to be careful is in what you use to clean it. You don't want to break down the little gaskets. Heavy weight oil and chain wax are both good for all chains.

Scottoilers are pretty common, they're basically a reservoir that holds oil, some tubing to get the oil to the chain, and some kind of mechanism to keep the reservoir from dumping all the oil at once. You can get everything from manual to vacuum powered to electrical. The more automated, the more you pay.

There are, but all the modern chain lube stuff is safe for all chains, AFAIK. Where you need to be careful is in what you use to clean it. You don't want to break down the little gaskets. Heavy weight oil and chain wax are both good for all chains.

Scottoilers are pretty common, they're basically a reservoir that holds oil, some tubing to get the oil to the chain, and some kind of mechanism to keep the reservoir from dumping all the oil at once. You can get everything from manual to vacuum powered to electrical. The more automated, the more you pay.

The only thing remote oilers are good for is enriching the person selling them, and making it more likely to dump your motorcycle in a turn because the chain lube sputtered on to the side of your tire. They're worse than worthless. They're an active safety hazard.

The only thing remote oilers are good for is enriching the person selling them, and making it more likely to dump your motorcycle in a turn because the chain lube sputtered on to the side of your tire. They're worse than worthless. They're an active safety hazard.

Not only that for the cost and the installation process, I believe it is cheaper, and better to do it yourself.

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Incidentally I emailed my Insurance agent to make sure everything was cool on the salvage title end, and he forwarded my message to the adjusters who have assured me they've contacted the DMV. I just need to wait for the DMV to send me a letter requesting my title.

Incidentally this also means they've forgotten to charge me for the salvage bike...which means I basically get thousands of dollars in exchange for a slightly dinged up LOOKING (but functionality perfect) bike.

The only thing remote oilers are good for is enriching the person selling them, and making it more likely to dump your motorcycle in a turn because the chain lube sputtered on to the side of your tire. They're worse than worthless. They're an active safety hazard.

Not only that for the cost and the installation process, I believe it is cheaper, and better to do it yourself.

And cleaner. I know a couple regular Iron Butt (the full 11K miles in 11 days kind) who have them on their ZX-12R and CBR-1100, but their bikes are absolutely filthy. I don't think I've seen a normal person use one. To me, I'd imagine you could probably just not lubricate your chain, replace it more frequently and come out about the same money-wise over the time you own a bike. Assuming you put less than 100K or so on it.

Interesting experience when I got home. Some Vespa was in "my" spot...i.e. the one next to the sidewalk decline of my driveway, next to a pole, next to my friend's SV650. However, sometimes a Vespa "steals" the spot...my block has no street cleaning so you never have to worry about moving it...ever (As I believe I mentioned I successfully contested two parking tickets). You can see my spot exactly in the photos I posted of the F800GS. So today I get home and there is no car parked next to the SV650 so I decide to move the SV650 over a few feet and park my BMW between them (won't get into details...might post the amusing video though...this ended up being VERY difficult and required me to slightly tilt my friend's bike with one hand while ON my bike since the rear tire was on the sidewalk I couldn't put the kick-stand down to get off).

Anyway that gets done and I get a knock at my door a few minutes later...it's my neighbor, an older lady who I've NEVER spoken to in my 4 years here but always smile at and exchange waves with. She looks very nervous/guilty and says that she hit my motorcycle (doubtful as it's between two bikes). She thought the blue motorcycle was mine and she accidentally backed into it when parking in the remaining space. She says a guy took a photo of her car and says it was a hit and run.

I inspect the bike, no damage as far as I can tell (kind of a beater anyway), and I tell her not to worry. We both go talk to the guy (turns out he's owns the Vespa on the other side of my bike) and he calmly explains that if you see someone back into a car or bike and hear a noise, and then the person starts to drive away, you take a photo of their car so you can potentially leave the owner a note. (Hells YES). My neighbor who I've tried to assure everything is cool, freaks out and starts yelling at the guy ramblings about having parked here for 30 years and blah blah blah and then she just stormed off back to her car and drove off.

I chatted with him briefly and he seemed like a nice guy. I thanked him for looking out for fellow riders and that he did the right thing and that I apologized for her reaction.

Drama-town!

After-story: I go outside and see the Vespa is gone. I decide it's a good time to move the FZ6 over so I get my helmet and gloves for the 0.25 block ride around the corner, and I see a DPT ticket envelope stuck in my seat. I haven't done anything illegal so I open it and inside is a hand written note that says "Hello, there are many spots to fit your bike around here, please don't use a full car spot, thank you". (In my opinion it can't fit a car bigger than a Smart).

Today was the first sub-30F commute I've done in awhile. And I didn't put the thermal liners back in my gear. Needless to say, my crotchal region was pretty cold. I think there was a little shrinkage going on.

So I was shuffling around vehicles, if I pull either SUV all the way up in the carport I can get the bike behind them and still be under the cover, and I moved it maybe 100 feet in flip flops and a tshirt (like, 1st gear idle speed) it's still weird to not be in all my gear.

So I was shuffling around vehicles, if I pull either SUV all the way up in the carport I can get the bike behind them and still be under the cover, and I moved it maybe 100 feet in flip flops and a tshirt (like, 1st gear idle speed) it's still weird to not be in all my gear.

Hehe. Every time I need to move my bike just a half block or less I only put on gloves and a helmet. My friend actually rode his bike 4-5 San Francisco blocks (i.e. 8-10 real blocks) without his helmet from my place because he left it at my house and when he came to get it didnt have his helmet. Not smart since it's required by law here.

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So tomorrow is the ride to Lakeport. My ninjette owning friend pulled the trigger on the F650GS today and is selling her ninjette Monday...she paid around $3400 for it last year and is letting it go for $3100 as she bought it in immaculate condition and of course broke one of the turn signals forgetting to put the stand down. I think she'll be much happier size wise on the 650 as her ninja was unnecessarily lowered by the previous owner.

Tomorrow we would have had 4 GSs and 2 'Stroms but my R1200GS Adventure owning friend is very sick and likely won't make the ride.

Incidentally...I realize that raw horsepower doesn't matter that much if it's all at the top end.

If you look at this dyno you can see the torque is consistent from about 3000 RPM to 8000 where it starts to drop off. "Power" though increases all the way to 8000 RPM...but the bike starts to vibrate and buzz a lot after 6000 RPM so I tend to shift (which is one reason the bike gets great mileage you seem to have power even if you short shift).

So can someone explain the difference between torque and HP in a way that explains the dyno chart and what I experience?

(Incidentally, you'll notice this is why all torque/horsepower curves cross at 5252 RPM.)

Or, put another way: Each firing of a cylinder adds a certain amount of power to the crankshaft. The faster the crankshaft spins, the more firings of cylinders per second, which means more power output.

Total power output can rise, even if torque is dropping, as long as the number of times a cylinder fires is large enough to counteract the loss.